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Jane Steele
- Author
- Lyndsay Faye
- Narrator
- Susie Riddell
- Publisher
- Headline
- Publish Date
- 22 March 2016
- Run Time
- 12 hours 16 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Historical fiction
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What to expect
** JANE STEELE HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR AN EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL 2017 **
Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked - but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors. A fugitive navigating London's underbelly, Jane rights wrongs on behalf of the have-nots whilst avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement catches her eye. Her aunt has died and the new master at Highgate House, Mr Thornfield, seeks a governess. Anxious to know if she is Highgate's true heir, Jane takes the position and is soon caught up in the household's strange spell. When she falls in love with the mysterious Charles Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him - body, soul and secrets - and what if he discovers her murderous past?
(P)2016 Headline Digital
Critics Review
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I loved it. What a clever, funny, gruesome, absorbing story!
Elly Griffiths
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This is a wonderfully wicked book. The deadly first chapter actually made me gasp. Jane Steele is a character you will not soon forget. Great evil fun!
R.L. Stine, New York Times bestselling author of Goosebumps and Fear Street
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Lyndsay Faye pulls off the most elusive feat of historical fiction: to give us a book that reads as though it was unearthed from a perfectly preserved antique chest. Sneakily charming and wildly well written, like Faye's other novels Jane Steele demands attention
Matthew Pearl, New York Times bestselling author of The Dante Club and The Last Bookaneer
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A heady mix of pastiche and thriller . . . a delight from first to last
The Sunday Times
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Jane Steele is lethal good fun! In Jane, Lyndsay Faye has created a heroine unwilling to suffer tyrants or fools. The result is a darkly-humorous, elegantly-crafted story of an "accidental" vigilante. A delicious read
Suzanne Rindell, author of The Other Typist
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Let's be honest here. When I was sent an advanced readers' copy of Jane Steele, which was billed as an historical crime novel with a Jane-Eyre-style heroine who becomes a serial killer, I thought someone was pulling my leg. I decided to read ten pages, just to annoy myself as I'm often inclined to do. Also, to show what a good sport I am. I was hooked by page five and read my way through at a merry clip. I loved this book! The language rings true, the period details are correct. Jane Steele is a joy, both plucky and rueful in her assessment of her dark deeds. The plotting is solid and the pacing sublime. If this were a series, this would be the perfect introduction. As a stand-alone, I give it an A+
Sue Grafton, #1 New York Times bestselling author
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Enchanting. Jane Steele is beautifully rendered and utterly captivating, from the first cry of "reader, I murdered him" to its final pages. Lyndsay Faye is a masterful storyteller, and this is her finest tale yet
Maria Konnikova, New York Times bestselling author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes
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A witty, macabre reimagining of Jane Eyre
Stylist Magazine
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From the gasp-inducing moment Jane Steele utters the words "reader, I murdered him", you know you are in for a rollicking romp of an adventure that recasts the Jane Eyre story in an entirely new light. But mixed in with the verve and vivacity is a story of real heart, exemplary, near-forgotten history, and an utterly unforgettable heroine. Brava to Lyndsay Faye for what's already one of my favorite thrillers of the year
Sarah Weinman, editor of Women Crime Writers: Eight Suspense Novels of the 1940s & 50s
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Young Jane Steele's favorite book, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, mirrors her life both too little and too much . . . In an arresting tale of dark humor and sometimes gory imagination, Faye has produced a heroine worthy of the gothic literature canon but reminiscent of detective fiction
Library Journal, Starred Review
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Add Jane Steele to that club of unforgettable antiheroes - Tom Ripley, Hannibal Lecter, and Dexter Morgan - who do dreadful things to bad people. Bold, inventive, and charmingly wicked, this instantly addictive novel pays homage to Jane Eyre while being wholly original. Lyndsay Faye has created a masterpiece
Hilary Davidson
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Faye's skill at historical mystery was evident in her nineteenth-century New York trilogy, but this slyly satiric stand-alone takes her prowess to new levels. A must for Brontë devotees; wickedly entertaining for all
Michele Leber
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I love Lyndsay Faye's audaciousness in recasting Jane as a murder, and the Victorian Gothic atmosphere is superbly done
Stephanie Lam
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Jane Eyre gets a dose of Dexter
Cosmopolitan
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Jane Steele is a marvellous book and I loved every elegantly wrought sentence of it. No reader could wish for a more entertaining narrator than big-hearted, knife-wielding Jane, nor a more vivid and convincing portrait of nineteenth century England. A very worthy companion to its inspiration and template, Jane Eyre, but with a great deal more blood, swearing and general uproariousness. Wonderful
Kate Riordan
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It's amazing. Best book of 2016 so far
Kirsty Logan
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"Reader, I murdered him." That's how Lyndsay Faye sets up her take on Jane Eyre. Like the classic heroine, Jane is a Victorian orphan, mistreated and sent off to school. Only she's a killer seeking vengeance in this clever thriller
US Weekly
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Must Read
Marie Claire
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Witty, exquisitely plotted, this is such a delectable treat 'tis a pity it has to end
People magazine
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Reader, she murdered him. In Lyndsay Faye's darkly comic retelling of Jane Eyre, the heroine is a serial killer with justification for every bloody act
Wall Street Journal
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The narrative is infused with humour and wit, is entertaining and engaging. This is exactly what good storytelling should be
Never Imitate Blog
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A perfect read. A great plot with unexpected twists and turns, highly original
Biblio Maniac UK Blog
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One for everyone. Possibly the best fun you'll have with a story this year . . . Highly recommended
Liz Loves Books Blog
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Faye hasn't embarked on a retelling of Brontë's masterwork, or anyone else's, for that matter. Her novel pays homage to the greats, yet offers a heroine whose murky past and murderous present remind us that some female behavior in other eras never made it into print
National Public Radio
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Lyndsay Faye
- Narrator
- Susie Riddell
- Duration
- 12 hours 16 minutes
- Release Date
- 22 March 2016
- ISBN
- 9781472237897
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Headline
- Genre
- Historical fiction
Synopsis
'Reader, I murdered him.' JANE STEELE is a brilliant Gothic retelling of JANE EYRE from Edgar-nominated Lyndsay Faye, for fans of LONGBOURN and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES. 'I loved it' - Elly Griffiths.** JANE STEELE HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR AN EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL 2017 **Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked - but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors. A fugitive navigating London's underbelly, Jane rights wrongs on behalf of the have-nots whilst avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement catches her eye. Her aunt has died and the new master at Highgate House, Mr Thornfield, seeks a governess. Anxious to know if she is Highgate's true heir, Jane takes the position and is soon caught up in the household's strange spell. When she falls in love with the mysterious Charles Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him - body, soul and secrets - and what if he discovers her murderous past?(P)2016 Headline Digital
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